The present invention relates to a picture frame for holding pictures and, more specifically, to a multi display mode picture frame.
A picture frame may be hung on the wall or supported on the top of a table to hold a picture. For hanging on a nail in the wall, a picture frame is provided with a hanging hole or hanging hook at the back side. For supporting on the top of a table, a picture frame is provided with a foldaway back support. When not in use, the foldaway back support is turned inwards and closely attached to the back side of the picture frame. When in use, the foldaway back support is turned outwards from the back side of the picture frame for supporting the picture frame on the top of a table in a tilted position. Furthermore, a conventional picture frame provides only one display mode, i.e., a picture frame designed for hanging on the wall cannot be supported on the top of a table in vertical; a picture frame designed for supporting on the top of a table in vertical cannot be hung on the wall. Conventional picture frames of either mounting type are designed to hold a picture exclusively in the transverse or longitudinal position. If the hanging hole or hanging hook of a rectangular picture frame is provided at the mid point of one short side, the picture frame can only be hung on the wall longitudinally, i.e., the picture frame is not suitable for holding a transverse picture. Similarly, the foldaway back support of a picture frame can support the picture frame exclusively in the longitudinal or transverse direction only. Further, when mounting a longitudinal picture in a picture frame designed for display a longitudinal picture, the user must look at the relative direction between the picture and the picture frame, preventing inverted loading of the picture in the picture frame.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a multi display mode picture frame, which can be hung on the wall or supported on the top of a table either in longitudinal direction or transverse direction as desired.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi display mode picture frame, which enables the user to mount the picture without considering the insertion direction of the picture relative to the picture frame.
To achieve these objects of the present invention, the multi display mode picture frame comprises a flat rectangular frame base and a back support. The frame base has two parallel long peripheral sides, two parallel short peripheral sides, a front side adapted for holding a picture, a back side, one first mounting hole spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one short peripheral side, and one second mounting hole spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one long peripheral side. By means of the mounting holes of the frame base, the frame base can be hung on a nail in the wall in longitudinal or transverse direction as desired. The back support has a coupling portion at one end thereof detachably coupled to one of the mounting holes, thereby enabling said back support to be extended from the corresponding mounting hole toward one peripheral side of said frame base such that the picture frame can be supported on a flat surface by means of the other end of the back support and the peripheral side of said frame base.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame base is made having two first mounting holes respectively bilaterally spaced between the center of the back side and the mid points of the short peripheral sides, and two second mounting holes respectively bilaterally spaced between the center of the back side and the mid points of the long peripheral sides.